Golden bearclaw-poppy

Plants subscapose, to 6 dm. Leaves 3-20 cm; blade shallowly to deeply 3-7-lobed distally, 5 cm wide distally, copiously long-pilose, sometimes also minutely hirsute. Inflorescences 3-20-flowered, branching, glabrous throughout or long-pilose proximally; buds glabrous. Flowers: sepals glabrous; petals caducous, 6, deep yellow, 2.5-4 cm; filaments not dilated distally; style absent. Capsules persistent, obconic, 1-2.5 cm, dehiscing not more than 1/4 length. 2 n = 24.

Flowering mid spring; fruiting early summer. Barren shales that are heavily gypsiferous or otherwise chemically unusual (borate-bearing, lithium-bearing), creosote bush zone; of conservation concern; 500-1000 m; Ariz., Nev., Utah.

Arctomecon californica is found in mostly small populations ranging from the vicinity of Las Vegas, Nevada, eastward to extreme northwestern Arizona near Lake Mead. It is known otherwise only from a single collection in Washington County, Utah.